Jeurys Familia Sharp In Live Bullpen Session
Jeurys Familia impressed during a live bullpen session on Thursday. He reportedly induced swings and misses and weak contact from Peter Alonso, Jeff McNeil and Dominic Smith. Familia is coming off of a horrific 2019 campaign in which he posted a 5.70 ERA, a 1.73 WHIP and 63 strikeouts in 60 innings pitched. Accordingly, news of an impressive live bullpen session by Familia in early spring training should be taken with a grain of salt. With that said, owners in saves-plus-holds leagues may want to keep an eye on Familia this spring to see if he shows signs of a bounce-back. In 2018, he posted a 3.13 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 83 K's in 72 innings pitched to go with 18 saves. Although Familia is firmly behind Edwin Diaz and Seth Lugo in the Mets closer pecking order, a rebound by the once top closer would return solid numbers in holds, K's, ERA and WHIP at a bargain-basement price tag.
Source: Anthony DiComo on Twitter
New York Mets relief pitcher Source: Anthony DiComo on Twitter
Jeurys Familia Designated For Assignment
Jeurys Familia and Domingo Acevedo for assignment on Thursday. The team also recalled right-handers Rico Garcia, Spencer Patton and Austin Pruitt from Triple-A Las Vegas and optioned right-hander Adam Oller to Las Vegas. Familia has a team-leading two saves on the year, but his 6.39 ERA (7.31 FIP), 2.05 WHIP and 13 walks in 12 2/3 relief innings were just too much for the A's to stomach. The 33-year-old right-hander will now be looking to join another organization as relief depth, but he'll probably have to settle for a minor-league deal elsewhere. Familia has 127 career saves in 12 big-league seasons, but he hasn't had more than two saves in a season since 2018.
Source: A's Twitter
The Oakland Athletics designated right-handers Source: A's Twitter
Jeurys Familia Picks Up Another Save Monday
Jeurys Familia earned his second save in four games when he closed out Monday's contest against the Los Angeles Angels. He pitched the 10th inning, allowing two runs on two hits while walking one and striking out one in the 11-10 win. Familia has posted a 5.73 ERA with five strikeouts and nine walks over 11 innings this year. Zach Jackson pitched the eighth and ninth inning and should also be in line for his fair of saves, but it looks like the 33-year-old is the leader in the bullpen right now, despite his disappointing results.
Source: MLB.com
Oakland Athletics reliever Source: MLB.com
Jeurys Familia Notches Friday's Save
Jeurys Familia picked up his first save of the season on Friday when his club defeated the Texas Rangers 5-4. He threw one inning, allowing no runs or hits while walking one. Familia is off to a poor start in 2023, posting a 5.40 ERA with four punchouts and eight walks across 10 innings. But with Dany Jimenez (shoulder) and Trevor May (anxiety) on the injured list, the A's needed another closer. The 28-year-old Zach Jackson, who pitched the eighth inning Friday, might also be in the mix for save situations, but fantasy managers should expect the longtime Mets reliever to earn his fair share of ninth-inning appearances, assuming he has some amount of success.
Source: MLB.com
Oakland Athletics right-hander Source: MLB.com
Trevor May, Jeurys Familia, Dany Jimenez Options For Saves
Trevor May, Jeurys Familia and Dany Jimenez could all be used in save situations this year, according to manager Mark Kotsay. "I think we'll start out with the mindset that they're all options," Kotsay said. Fantasy managers shouldn't be too interested in the A's closing picture unless you're scrounging for save opportunities in AL-only leagues. May has 12 career saves in eight big-league seasons, Familia has 125 career saves in 11 major-league campaigns and Jimenez picked up his first 11 saves for the A's in 2022 in his second MLB season. This could be a straight committee approach, which makes speculating on any of these relievers dicey in fantasy. Jimenez has the most upside.
Source: San Francisco Chronicle - Matt Kawahara
Oakland Athletics relief pitchers Source: San Francisco Chronicle - Matt Kawahara
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